if you think the Philippines is poor..

**niky** · October 25th, 2005 05:53 PM

Hmm... what about Indonesia? It's just as bad as us!

Malaysia is doing really well, though. Thailand is just okay. Vietnam and Laos are up-and-coming, but not as rich as the Philippines, yet. But they've been through some hard times, and a population that's known extreme hardships can often bounce back (Korea and Japan for example).

**CtrlAltDel** · October 25th, 2005 06:00 PM

if you are one of those malnourished, vagrant little kids trudging along the sidewalk looking hopeless and without slippers under the hot sun with a sack of garbage on your back, I wonder how you would answer to the question of whether the Philippines is poor or not.

imo, the country is not wealthy. so many are below the poverty line compared to those who can afford to have thier kids go to a private school, for instance. but even in the squatter's area, they are beginning to show some semblance of discipline. for example: North Harbor Road is now clean. That road adjacent to Pier 2-6 which used to be chaotic is now wide open and free of garbage. The squattes have cooperated by keeping to their portion of the road and keeping it clean.

if we could effectively replicate this on the national bureaucracy and officialdom...

**StraightSix** · October 25th, 2005 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by woulfe27

Actually, lahat ng dating colonies ng Spain at Portugal naghihirap (El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, etc.). tinuruan kase ng mga friars na pag sinampal sa kanang pisngi, ipasampal pa ulit yung kaliwa. kaya pag ninakawan ng pulitiko sa kanang bulsa, ipapanakaw pa yung laman ng kaliwang bulsa.

Sorry, OT

I saw on TV once a feature about the Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent Christianization of the Inca empire. The program ended with the narration "... and the friars told us to close our eyes and we will receive Jesus. When we opened them, we got the cross, and they had our lands."

**mrpink** · October 25th, 2005 06:25 PM

.. poverty is there even in the richest of countries .. the philippines is a rich country .. but the wealth is distributed very inequitably ..

**woulfe27** · October 25th, 2005 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by StraightSix

Sorry, OT

I saw on TV once a feature about the Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent Christianization of the Inca empire. The program ended with the narration "... and the friars told us to close our eyes and we will receive Jesus. When we opened them, we got the cross, and they had our lands."

saw that one, too, sa NGC. kawawa yung mga Incas. Mga Spaniards din pala nagdala ng flu sa South America. dati pala walang flu doon. dami tuloy namatay na indigenous people kse wala silang resistance sa flu.

**bad driver** · October 25th, 2005 07:18 PM

But hey, atleast we got some semblance of civilization.... kung hindi tayo iniputan ng spain, eh nakabahag pa rin tayo at kumakain ng aso.

We're still lucky... hehe... kasi kapag America ang nagcolonise satin, sana near extinction na ang lahi naten ata na sa reservations nalang. cguro nakaisolate tayo sa isa sa mga isla at may sariling casino.

70% below poverty line.... plus no welfare= very poor country.

**pnay_fickle_minded** · October 25th, 2005 07:33 PM

philippines is indeed rich by nature, kaya dami foreigners pumupunta dito... some loves to come back here again, but some regrets... Sayang lang talaga, we are strategically located, halos nasa atin na lahat, but we just dont know how to use them... problem lang ang mga people, esp our government.... marumi na ang government natin, marumi pa ang paligid... living here in japan makes me feel more sorry for philippines,kasi kahit saan ako magpunta, malinis... kanina nga, nagseminar kami about sa cleanliness, sa school ko halos chinese and vietnamese mga schoolmates ko, and sabi ng mga japanese teachers, every day bago umuwi, they have to check pa daw yung mga basura, and paghihiwa-hiwalayin dahil sama-sama daw yung mga basura which is not proper daw.. naalala ko tuloy and pinas,sana kahit sa basura man lang, may discipline tayo... kaya let`s start it with ourselves, and ituro din natin sa mga bata.

**Psalm136:2** · October 25th, 2005 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by oldblue

If you've been to Megamall, they have 2 buildings: A & B.
But this under construction mall consists of five bldgs. A to E. shuttles will be fielded just to get from one bldg. to the next. the front of this mall is a circumferential road similar to QC circle: the purpose -> dun iikot lahat ng buses of EDSA!

now If I were the SM tycoon himself, why would I build malls of "epic proportions" kung wala naman pambili nor pang-kain ang mga pinoy?

Eto rin po ang point ko. What makes the Phillipines rich/will be richer; is one's vision. Mr. Sy and the rest of these mall kingpins have optimistic vision for our country. Ang hirap kasi sa nakakarami sa atin, we're looking at our present situation, we're not looking beyond. Kung nakikita nating naghihirap ang bansa, why don't we do something about it? I mean, in our own little way. Mahilig tayong magreklamo sa problema, ayaw naman nating gawan ng solusyon, lagi na lang; "trabaho ng gobyerno yan".

Nation building is not only government's responsiblity, madlang pipol mismo ang makakagawa nito. Bakit isa-isang nawawala ang mga multinational companies? Or bakit nalilipat sa Thailand ang karamihan sa mga production facilities from the Phil.? Dahil na rin sa mga "union". We're letting ourselves be influenced by these so-called "cause-oriented" groups. Kagaya ng mga politiko, ginagamit nila ang kamangmangan at kahirapan ng nakakarami for their own agenda.

Kaya nga bihira ngayon ang "permanent job" dahil iniiwasan ng mga companies na mapasukan sila ng union. Sinong apektado? Syempre ang kawawang Juan dela Cruz, na walang ginusto kundi ang makapag trabaho lamang. Just my 2 cents.

**bad driver** · October 25th, 2005 10:06 PM

Kaya nga bihira ngayon ang "permanent job" dahil iniiwasan ng mga companies na mapasukan sila ng union. Sinong apektado? Syempre ang kawawang Juan dela Cruz, na walang ginusto kundi ang makapag trabaho lamang. Just my 2 cents.

I thought companies like SM don't give permanent jobs to escape employee benefits and proper labor rights for the employees? para walang overtime pay at paid holidays. 13th month pay. bonuses etc.

keep the poor man down

sino pa maglilinis ng kubeta mo kung lahat yumayaman dba?

a good balance should be established. Good labor laws and employee rights with employer protection from scumbag unions.

Fortunately, there are some companies who have good and Christian values.

**Psalm136:2** · October 25th, 2005 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by bad driver

a good balance should be established. Good labor laws and employee rights with employer protection from scumbag unions.

Fortunately, there are some companies who have good and Christian values.

You're right, there must be a good balance. Unfortunately some companies, i.e. SM resort to harsh policies like what you mentioned because of these unions' one-sided influence/intimidation.

Diba kung ipaglalaban mo karapatan mo bilang manggagawa, you should also be concern on your company's welfare, in short compromise. Kadalasan, nagmamatigas ang mga union, kaya ayun, mas gugustuhin pa ng mga companies na sibakin tong mga kawawang employees, kesa humaba pa ang sakit ng ulo nila. A day's loss means a lot to them.

About contractual employees' due payments, wala po kasing naka-stipulate sa labor law na ganito. Sana nga meron, maski papano.